From the Director’s Desk
The time is now! This week starts six weeks of what we have been working towards since band camp. Thank you to everyone who came out to watch the band's first run-through Saturday night at Veteran’s Memorial Stadium. We were proud of the band for the work they did last weekend. They added a bunch of new material and kept things pretty well together during that first run-through.
We have many students who need encouragement at home to practice their marching and concert band music to have proficiency. Please help encourage regular practice after school!
We will travel to San Jose to perform at Independence High School this week. For more information about the contest please visit the WBA webpage.
Our daily schedule is posted on the calendar in CutTime.
We hope to have an awesome rooter section at each of our competitions. It is great to see lots of Bronco spirit in the stands. Lots of times our parents find a way to sit in the same area to provide a strong rooter section for the CN Band!!! We hope you will travel with us to see the growth and progress of our students and program over the next 6 weeks.
As we enter the first week of competition here is some information on what it is all about.
Etiquette at Competitions
Here are a few reminders when attending a marching band contest to allow you and everyone around you to enjoy the performances of ALL student musicians
Support every band - No matter who is on the field, cheer for their work and effort. Crowd response inspires students to perform better.
Watch the whole show - Pay attention to every element. Usually, several things are happening at once.
Show up early - Bands in smaller classes often perform fabulous shows. If you’re only there to hear your band, you could miss a lot of great performances.
Buy concessions - The prices are less than at a movie theater, yet concessions revenue often funds a large portion of the host band’s operating costs.
Pause your conversation during the show - Unlike sporting events, band competitions are an audio activity. You want to listen for the clarity as well as the content of each ensemble. Respect your neighbors’ right to enjoy the performances they paid to see and hear.
Turn off your phone - Talking on the phone during a performance is inconsiderate. Save the important phone call for the several minutes that pass while one band is leaving the field and the next band is setting up.
Do not enter or exit bleachers during a band’s performance - please stay put until the interval between performances. Blocking or disrupting the spectator's views or sounds of a performance is rude.
Be nice - Maybe you aren’t a fan of a certain uniform or band arrangement. Please remember someone sitting within earshot probably has a friend or family member on the field. Each student and family has invested considerable time and effort over the last few months. Please be a positive contributing member of the audience and help appreciate every performance for the student's hard work and parent support.
HOW DO WE GET OUR SCORE?
Each ensemble will receive a score based on the total possible 100 points computed to the nearest thousandth of a point. The score will be the total of the scores given by each of the eight adjudicators less any penalty points.
The calculation of the total score for each caption is:
Points Average
30 Effect Music + Effect Visual -1 judge each caption - adjudicate from the press box
30 Ensemble Music + Individual Music - 1 judge each caption - ensemble music in the press box, individual music on the field
20 Ensemble Visual + Individual Visual - 1 judge each caption - ensemble visual in press box, individual visual on field
10 Percussion - 1 judge in press box
10 Color Guard - 1 judge in the press box
Total = 100
The percentage of the total score for each caption is:
Effect Music: 15%
Effect Visual: 15%
Ensemble Music: 15%
Individual Music: 15%
Ensemble Visual: 10%
Individual Visual: 10%
Percussion: 10%
Color Guard: 10%
How judges generate scores:
Each judge gives two scores that evaluate the “What” - students are doing & “How” - well the students are doing it.
Effect Music:
What - Coordination of audio to visual, pacing, variety of effects
How - The ability to communicate the concept with expression, emotion, and understanding of the music
Effect Visual:
What- Support the concept with costumes, flags, set designs, and colors. Coordination of visual-to-visual and audio-to-visual
How - Provide sustained mood over productions and over the total program
Communicate the concept with expression, emotion, and understanding
Ensemble Music:
Musicianship/Intonation: Quality of sound and tone production in a variety of ranges and dynamic levels.
Balance/Timing/Technique: Overall clarity, focus, uniformity, accuracy of rhythms, consistent technique, vertical alignment of the full ensemble
Individual Music:
Musicianship/Intonation: Quality and consistency of sound, quality, and consistency of tunic, melodic and harmonic intonation, breath support, and embouchure refinement
Accuracy/Technique: Clarity and uniformity of articulation, attacks, releases, accuracy of rhythms, control during environmental and simultaneous challenges
Ensemble Visual:
Composition: Quality of Design Elements in form, body, and equipment, placement of musical voices. Considering all components, whose design was best composed
Excellence: Achievement of Spacing, Line, and Timing. Training, including concentration, stamina, and recovery. Considering all responsibilities, whose excellence was best achieved.
Individual Visual:
Vocabulary/Content: Range and variety of responsibilities, consider environmental issues created by the layering of responsibilities, consider musical challenges such as tempo and metric variations. Reward the range/variety, including form, body, and equipment
Achievement: Reward achievement, considering “what” and “how well” they do
Percussion:
Content: Musical and technical vocabulary, range of content, variety, clarity, simultaneous responsibilities
Achievement: Articulation and attacks/releases, uniformity of technique, rhythmic accuracy, vertical and horizontal alignment.
Color Guard:
Composition: Which color guard better enhanced the full ensemble
Excellence: Which color guard better-demonstrated training and excellence
COMPARING SCORES FROM ONE GROUP TO ANOTHER
WBA has a two-tiered scoring system that awards achievement based on the size and ability of each ensemble. Scores are comparable between 1,2,3A class groups & 4,5A class groups. A score of 80 for a 3A band would be different than a score of 80 from a 4A band
When looking at spreads between each Caption score and the total score, a tenth of a point means the following:
1-2 tenths - groups are very comparable
3-4 tenths - there are minor differences between groups
5-9 tenths - there are definitive differences between groups
1 point or more - there are significant differences between groups.
Standard of the Week
"No Excuses"
Now that we have been doing band and are entering the second part of the season, ALL students should understand the expectations and procedures for being a member of the Clovis North Marching Band. This means there should be fewer questions and faster output.
We all have to make the push to championships to have NO EXCUSES when it comes to performing every note of every measure in our music as well as marching an awesome performance with feet in time, great body alignment, and an emotional dynamic performance.
The Fall Concert is Next Week!
Concert Attire
Our fall concert is scheduled for next Wed. Oct. 23. We hope to see all of our families in attendance. Students will need the proper attire for this concert. It is the following:
Boys: Black suit or tuxedo, white long-sleeve dress shirt, black bow tie, black dress socks, black dress shoes (marching band shoes are acceptable for this).
Girls: Black dress pants or slacks, black blouse or sweater, black stockings/socks, black dress shoes (flats)
GSTOB
We have lots of volunteer slots needed to fill before next weekend’s competition at Clovis HS. We need these positions filled by this Friday to be able to earn all of our portion of the proceeds from this event. Please sign up on Cuttime to help out
Holiday Catalog
We have just completed the holiday catalog fundraiser. A correction from last week. We will receive 40% of the total sales from this fundraiser. To date, with online sales, we have earned $3,757.80. If you have been selling using the paper form, please turn that in with money ASAP to Mr. Rogers.
Taco Dinner
Wednesday, October 23, 2024 is our Fall Band Concert and All-You-Can-Eat Taco Dinner fundraiser. Please click the link and order your taco dinners ASAP. You can pay for your dinners online. There will be a list outside the concert hall for your taco tickets.
Then, we hope you will join us at 7 pm, for our concert. Taco dinner DOES NOT include admission to the concert. Concert attendance is $5.00. Tickets can be purchased before the concert beginning @ 6:30 pm in the lobby of the concert hall.
2025 Band Calendar
It’s time to order your 2025 Band Calendar. Please order RIGHT AWAY!!! There is a quick turnaround on this order. Orders are due next week. Again, please order from our website. Two options are best option… order online. The next best option print the form and bring a check or cash with the form to the band room and turn it in to the black box.
Message from Robin Wilson, CN Band Booster President
Hello Band Family!
Band Calendar:
We have extended the band calendar sale deadline to tomorrow, October 16. Click HERE for more information.
Saturday's Competition:
I am so excited for our first competition this Saturday in San Jose! It would be great to get a CN cheering section together. The best seats are as close to the 50 yard line as possible and as far up as possible. Keep your eyes peeled for other CN Band Family so that we can sit together to cheer on our Bronco Band & Guard.
Trunk-or-Treat:
We will be holding our Second Annual Band Trunk-or-Treat Tuesday, October 29 at 9:00pm. Help us make this event a success by signing up to decorate your car and distribute candy or by donating bags of candy.
I look forward to seeing you all at tonight's mandatory band parent meeting. As always, please reach out to me if you have any questions. I'm here to help :)
Robin Wilson
CN Band Booster President
(559) 960-0801
Don’t forget to join us for the last 30 minutes of our Tuesday night rehearsals.
We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events!
Have a great rest of your week!
David Lesser, Director of Bands
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